Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-10-31

scaffoldings or in the forks of trees. A
cemetery of this kind is apt to create a
very loud smell, and hunters and travel
ers give them a wide berth.
l understand that a number Of the
Crows have no desire whatever for land
in severalty, and if their land could be
divided among them they would be as
we'll OFT almost in extent of territory as
some of the dukes of England. Their
Montana reservation, if divided up, would
give 1000 acres of land to each man,
woman and child Of their tribe, and leave
a good many large farms over.
The Indians are called poor, but they
nrc in reality the richest people in the
world in proportion to their numbers. The
Osages are worth $4,000 family, and the
Missouri Sacs IRE worth $35, 600 family
The lOwas are worth from $4,000 to
5000 each, and they each own many
acres of land worth $50 an acre. Thu
whole Indian territory contains 10000 In
dams, and the Cherokees alone have about
10000 cattle, 100, 900 hogs and 1900
horses. They are as civilized almost as
the whites. They publish their own
newspapers and rule themselves utter q
code of laws of their own.
There are now in the United States
247, 761 Indians, and of these 20, 600 are of
mixed blood. A leading employee of the
Indian bureau thinks that the Indians will
be finally swallowed up by the whites,
and their tribal relations will disappear.
There are now in the Indian territory q
number OF white men married to Indian
squaws, and matches of this kind take
place often on account Of the money which
the white man makes by the contract.
There are number of intermarragcs be-
tween the negroes and the Indians in the
Indian territory, and fifty years from now
pure blooded Indian will be hard to
find.
The Indian chief does not have as much
power now as he had in the past, end l
am told at the Indian office that his infiu-
cnce is soon to pass away. He has not
the chance now to get the lions share of
the supplies which the government sends
to his tribe, as the agents now distribute
to the individuals, and when each man
cultivates his own piece of ground he will
not be likely TO support a chief in idle
ness.
Some OF the Indians have begun to nc
cumulate property, ana these Crows do
quite business of carrying freight. They
have turned their hunting ponies into
draft animals, and an agent, in writing
about them, says he could get 200 Indians
to engage in this business if lie had the
wagons and horses for them.
don't know that any Of the Crows are
very wealthy, but there is an Indian in
Washington territory who is said to be
worth $50, 900. X is Chief Peone, Of the
Spokane tribe, who began to take up land
when the Northern Pacific road was being
surveyed. lie owns some Of the land on
which the town of Spokane Falls Gow
stands. He is said to own cattle, horses
and bonds, and he cannot be induced to
drink or gamble. Colorow, the Ute, is
said to be man of property, though he
Is drunkard and brute.
Drink and gambling are the two great
est vices of the Indians, and there is in the
National museum here case of instru-
ments which illustrates the games
VI chance played among the North
American Indians. II contains among
other things cards made Of dried skins,
taken from the Arachcs. They are Of the
size Of sbo ordinary playing card; they
have rude pictures upon them, and they
are made after the Spanish cards. There
a,e spades, clubs, diamonds and hearts,
ant the SPOT cords cod with the scvcus,
Rua the ciGhts, mines and tens are not in